


Save Me from the Memories

by Rough_Rabbit_Head



Series: Save Me [1]
Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: BUT I LOVE THEM, Eventual Smut, Everyone knows better than to defy Mink, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kidnapping, M/M, Panic Attacks, Rape Recovery, Scars, Sexual Content, Suicidal Thoughts, Temporary Amnesia, Thoughts of Self-harm, Trip and Virus Are Assholes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-21 05:37:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6040234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rough_Rabbit_Head/pseuds/Rough_Rabbit_Head
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aoba is taken by Virus and Trip for two years before they become bored and throw him away. What happens when Aoba, half conscious, beaten, and tormented by the vague memories of what he was put through becoming stronger as the drugs work their way out of his system, stumbles upon Mink in a dark alleyway? Can Mink save him from himself, or will he go insane first?</p><p>*UPDATE: Removed the chapter that was just an Author's Note as promised when I posted the actual chapter 12.*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Abduction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Benishigure_hippo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benishigure_hippo/gifts).



Aoba sighed as he walked up to the door to his home after a long day of work. He fished his keys from his pocket and worked at the lock, pausing when he noticed it was already open. He looked down to his Allmate that had been walking beside him.

“Ren? I did locked the door before leaving to work, right?”

“Affirmative,” the small dog confirmed his suspicions. A sudden rush of panic gripped at Aoba as he pushed the door open and stepped into the unnaturally dark house. It was apparent that Granny was not home. He walked cautiously into the living room after listening intently in attempt of detecting any intruders. Upon entering the room, he flipped on the light, shocked to find a familiar person sitting on his couch.

It was a blonde haired man dressed in a neatly pressed suit and green glasses, a wicked smirk in place as he slowly stroked the scales of his Allmate, the black snake coiled around his shoulders.

“Ah, you finally decided to arrive, Aoba-san,” he practically purred at him. “It is impolite to keep your guests waiting. I suppose I am going to have to punish you for this.”

Aoba took a step back as if trying to escape only to bump into a second intruder.

“How rude of you, Aooooba,” the cool voice whispered close to his ear causing him to shiver. “We are your biggest fans, you know.”

Strong arms wrapped around Aoba’s waist as Virus stood to approach them. “Shall we take our leave, Trip? Tae-san could be home any moment now. Wouldn’t want her to interfere with our plans now, would we?”

He could feel Trip nod behind him as he lifted Aoba off the ground.

“Oi! Put me down!” Aoba tried to kick at Trip, only to have Virus place a cloth over his face. Aoba’s eyes widened as he unwillingly inhaled the fumes on it. The last thing he heard before everything went black was Trip whispering of how they were going to take good care of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was basically written to satisfy the image I had in my head of Virus sitting on Aoba's couch with Hersha and smirking like a maniac, so I apologize for how short it is. Originally, it was meant to be Aoba/Virus/Trip, but I decided that I didn't want to write Aoba going through that. I will be skipping over all of that and just have mentions of it in later chapters.
> 
> In any case, chapter two should be finished soon. I am kind of bad at remembering to put myself on a schedule, but I promise to actually finish this story! I hope you all enjoy and I will see you in the next chapter!!!


	2. The Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba is set free and is found by Mink.

Pain. All he felt was pain. He lost track of how long it has been since he felt anything else. His captors kept him alive only so they could torment him day after day. He had long given up on trying to fight back after the first week. It felt like an eternity before Trip carried him out of the room he had come to know as his prison. He was taken to a large room and placed in the middle of a crowd of men in black hoodies all waiting for one of their leaders to give them a command.

More pain. Upon receiving their cue, the men rushed him all trying to get at him, punching and kicking any part of him they could reach. Aoba tried to scream out, but the drugs Virus and Trip kept flowing through his veins prevented him from doing so. He could only lay in tears and take the onslaught of blows. After several long minutes, the men were dismissed at Virus knelt by his side, speaking words Aoba’s exhausted brain could not comprehend before placing a cloth around his eyes.

And then, he was being lifted again. Before long, he was being thrown into what he could only assume to be a car. Virus and Trip climbed in on either side of him before they took off to an unknown location.

Virus was talking again, but the only words he could catch were _broken_ , _useless_ , _boring_ , and _Aoba-san_. He soon lost consciousness to the feeling of Trip’s fingers toying with his messy hair as Virus kept rambling on.

When he awoke again, he was completely alone in an alleyway, Virus and Trip long gone. He couldn’t recognize his surroundings with his mind still hazy. He placed a hand against the wall and tried to stand up, nearly crumbling at the jarring agony that shot through him when he moved. He did his best to ignore it and took a few shaky steps.

He heard the fluttering of wings overhead and glanced up. He could vaguely make out the outline of a large bird flying above him. It seemed so familiar to him, but he couldn’t seem to place it. He scrunched up his face, trying hard to remember. It felt like ages since he had last seen it. Before he could come up with an answer, he heard rapid footsteps approaching him. He tensed up at the sound. Someone was coming for him. He was finally free of his torment and now he was going to be captured again. His breathing grew heavy as he began to panic. He was too weak to fight and he knew it.

“Aoba!” a voice called out to him. Again with the familiarity that he can’t seem to place. He couldn’t move as the person came to a stop beside him, a hand extended towards him. He jumped at the motion and shrank himself as close to the wall as he could, his body shivering in fear.

“P-please don’t,” his voice was harsh from disuse. The other man pulled his hand away, looking at Aoba like he was searching for answers that he had been trying to find for a very long time.

“Aoba,” his voice was softer now. “Are you alright? Do you know where you are?”

“It hurts,” was all he could manage, his voice cracking.

The familiar stranger slowly extended his hand again, this time with a bottle of water. Aoba timidly looked between the bottle and the tall man holding it. The man looked sketchy as hell, but there was a nagging at the back of Aoba’s mind that he knew him, was maybe even friends with him. He reached out a trembling hand to take the bottle, which the man had already opened for him, and took a sip.

“Aoba,” the man tried again. “Can you tell me where you are?”

“Who are you?” Aoba responded with a question. “I feel like I should know you.”

The man looked taken aback by that. “They really did a number on you, huh?”

“Please,” Aoba nearly sobbed.

“Mink,” came the reply. “We need to get you home. Aoba, do you know how long you have been missing?”

Mink. The name struck a chord in his mind. Yes, he knew this man. He helped him save his Granny once. Aoba’s eyes widened at that thought, not even processing Mink had asked him a question.

“Granny! Is she okay? She must have worried when I wasn’t home for dinner!” he was suddenly frantic, momentarily forgetting how badly beaten he was as he launched himself at the other. “Mink! We have to go home!”

“Slow down,” strong hands gripped his shoulders gently. “I already messaged her to let her know I found you. Aoba, can you answer my question? How long do you think you have been gone?”

Aoba shook his head. “It’s all fuzzy. I just remember a locked room and pain. There was so much pain.”

A hint of sadness twinkled in Mink’s eyes for a moment before they hardened again. “We have been looking for you for two years. You just disappeared without a trace.”

“I did?” Aoba’s eyebrows furrowed as his headache returned. He moved a hand to grip his forehead as his world began to spin. Two years. He was locked in that room for two years. Was that true? “Mink… I want to go home.”

He never heard if Mink responded to him before he collapsed into his arms, darkness once again overtaking him. He could only hope the other man was able to catch him before his head bashed against the pavement. Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, really. The pain might stop if he didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mink might be OOC, here, but being rough with someone in this situation probably wouldn't be a good idea.
> 
> Also, two chapters in one day, because for once I was able to write plural chapters at once. Hopefully chapter three will be out this week as well. Virus and Trip might appear later in the story, but I have no idea how or when that will be.
> 
> Enjoy!


	3. Home At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba is finally home after his time being away.

Once again, Aoba regained consciousness in a different place. This time, he was sitting in a bathtub, leaned heavily against the wall. He smiled faintly through the still present pain. Home. He is finally home and safe. He hears the bathroom door open and glances up weakly to see Granny walk in carrying a towel and wash cloth. She gives him a stern look, but her eyes are shockingly kind.

“Do you realize how much worry you have caused?” she sighed as she sat herself on a stool next to him. “I came home to an empty house. You didn’t come home from work that day.”

He tried to answer her, but his voice wouldn’t come out. She sighed again and leaned forward, bringing the wash cloth up to wipe at the dried blood still clinging to his face. He felt bad having her wash him as if he were still a child, but he didn’t have the strength in him to protest. His body felt heavy and foreign, almost as if it didn’t belong to him.

After a while, Granny sat back, reaching over to pull the plug from the tub allowing the water to drain. “Since you are awake this time, are you okay with Mink taking over from here? You’re too fat for me to lift.”

His brows furrowed, confused by her words. A few moments later, it donned on him that of course Granny hadn’t undressed him and carried his near lifeless body into the tub. So that means Mink has seen him naked. He flushed at the thought, but nodded anyways. It wasn’t like he was able to move much on his own right now. Granny nodded and walked out of the room again.

It seemed like no time at all before there was a knock on the door and Mink walked in, approaching him calmly. He reached for the towel Granny left and moved over Aoba, arms wrapping gently around him to pull him away from the wall. As far as Aoba’s hazy mind could recall, this felt unusual of the larger man. He vaguely recalled Mink being cold and rough. He definitely wasn’t about to complain, though. If he really has been under those two’s care for two years, these are the first soft touches he has received in a very long time.

He tilted his head to look at the other to find golden eyes staring at him as if gauging his reactions. Odd, his eyes are different from the cloudy pictures Aoba was able to recollect of the man. Mink seemed satisfied, though, and silently lifted him from his spot and placing him on the stool so he could better reach his body. Aoba swayed, his balance shifting dangerously, but the older man simply held him in place as he worked. When his attention turned to his legs, Aoba felt a wave of panic hit him and he desperately tried to jerk away from Mink with what little strength he had.

“No!” his weak voice croaked out as he brought up an arm in attempt of shielding his most sensitive parts.

Mink instantly moved his hands to Aoba’s shoulders, the towel dropping onto the younger’s lap. “Aoba,” he practically whispered, his fingers drawing circles on his skin as if trying to soothe him. “I am not trying to hurt you. We need to get you dried and dressed so Tae can address your wounds. I am not going to touch you there, okay?”

Aoba was tense, his breathing labored with fear, but something in Mink’s eyes told him he could trust this man not to try anything. He felt those calloused hands move down to stroke up and down his arms and closed his eyes at the touch. Mink is only trying to help. That is all. He took a few breaths to steady himself before looking back at Mink, trying to tell him he was okay.

Mink nodded, picking the towel back up and returning to the task at hand, his movements more gentle than they were before. It was obvious to him that the man was trying not to spook him again. Soon, Mink was standing back up to grab Aoba’s clothing, carefully dressing the weak man and supporting his weight when he needed to stand to get his pants on. Once dressed, Mink wrapped an arm around Aoba’s back.

“Do you want to try walking?” he asked softly. Aoba simply nodded and slung an arm over Mink’s shoulders. The taller held him steady, letting him lean heavily on him as he tried to walk with him. Slowly, but surely, they made it into the living room where Tae was already waiting with her medical bag. Gently, Aoba was placed on the couch next to her before Mink settled himself on his other side to over support should he try to collapse again.

Tae engaged Mink in a brief conversation, but Aoba’s mind was starting to become fuzzy again. He felt like he was forgetting about something very important. He wracked his brain for an answer but came up short. He was too tired to focus. He felt his body start to sway again and just like clockwork, strong arms were holding him. His mind reeled slightly. Again, we was drawn back to what little memories he could conjure up about this man. He couldn’t recall Mink ever being this gentle with him. Had he been worried about Aoba’s absence these past two years? Maybe he could ask Ren later when he wasn’t so tired.

He jolted at that thought, forcing himself upright and looking around frantically. How could he forget about Ren? As if reading his mind, Tae stood and walked out of the room as Mink rubbed his back soothingly. A few moments later, Tae returned with Ren in her arms.

“I found him in the living room. He was pretty damaged, but your friend Noiz was able to fix him,” she looked almost sad as she spoke. “Unfortunately, whoever took you damaged Ren to the point where we couldn’t recover any memory past you leaving work that day.”

She handed the small ball of fur to Aoba, who immediately booted him up.

“Aoba!” came Ren’s worried voice as he looked up at his owner, tail wagging in excitement. “You’re safe now!”

Aoba smiled. “I have missed you!” he pet Ren’s fur with a shaky hand.

“You should get some rest,” Mink observed from the side, his hand gripping his shoulder. “You need to recover your strength so we can figure out who did this to you.”

Aoba tensed at the thought. He knew exactly who did this to him, but would it do him any good to tell them? Virus and Trip seemed to do a pretty good job at disappearing if they really wanted to. Given that they set him free in an area where Mink was easily able to get to him, the two were probably long gone and would be difficult to find. He glanced to Mink when he felt the hand on his shoulder tighten.

“Aoba, you need to tell us,” his eyes were stern as they bore into Aoba’s. Aoba smiled faintly. Yeah, those eyes reminded him more of the Mink in his mind.

Slowly, he shook his head, voice barely a whisper as it escaped his lips. “Not yet.”

Mink looked like he wanted to argue, but was interrupted by the sound of someone else entering the house. A moment later, they walked into the room looking noticeably flustered. Aoba smiled at him. This was someone he definitely remembered.

“Koujaku,” he managed feebly. He raised a trembling hand to him as he strode closer and dropped to his knees in front of them.

“Aoba,” his expression was now one of relief as he gazed upon his friend. “Who did this to you?”

Aoba shook his head. “Not yet.”

Koujaku’s brows furrowed at that response, but he remained silent upon seeing the warning look on Mink’s face. Instead, he decided to change the subject. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” Aoba’s reply was accentuated by a small yawn which brought a smile to Koujaku’s sleep.

He looked to Mink as he stood. “I will take him from here.”

Mink nodded and stood up himself. “I have work to do anyways. Message me if anything happens.”

Koujaku nodded his agreement as he lifted Aoba from the couch and headed upstairs. Aoba was asleep before they even made it into his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am on a roll with this. I wasn't expecting to crank out a chapter this long in this little time. Currently, I don't have any real plans for this story other than Mink and Aoba falling in love while Mink is trying to protect him. I am also noticing a trend of me ending chapters with Aoba falling unconscious... Oh well!
> 
> I hope you guys are liking it so far, because it is really fun to be back in the groove of writing fan fiction. (:
> 
> Enjoy!


	4. Recollection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba has a nightmare about what he went through.

“Aoba-san,” he flinched hearing the purr-like voice next to his ear. He knew that voice better than his own at this point and tensed upon hearing it. “Have you been good while I was away?” A slick tongue flickered against the shell of his ear drawing a pitiful whimper from his throat. The voice chuckled at that. “Oh my, are you finally warming up to me, Aoba-san?”

He nodded obediently, just like he had been trained to by threat of punishment. He knew full and well that displeasing this man would only bring more pain than necessary to him. Something cold and menacing came to dance across the skin of his thigh, the sting familiar to him by now. He instinctively tensed at the sensation causing the man behind him to laugh harshly.

“Now, Aoba-san, you know I must mark this moment for you. We wouldn’t want you forgetting any of our encounters, would we?” the man whispered to him before digging in the blade at the same time as he bit down on his shoulder hard. He thrashed violently against his captor and screamed out in pain, desperately trying to escape even though he knew he was only setting himself up for farther punishment, just like every time before this one.

Suddenly, he felt very different hands gripping each of his shoulders and shaking him almost violently. He thrashed even harder, his screams reaching a crescendo until he felt the hands retreat from his body. They returned moments later, pulling him into strong arms and a broad chest. He relaxed slightly as fingers threaded through his hair and he recognized the gentle voice whispering in his ear; a voice definitely not belonging to either of his kidnappers.

Slowly, he opened his eyes to find himself cradled in Koujaku’s arms. He was home and safe. It was only a nightmare. He tilted his head up to find his friend’s worried eyes boring into his own.

“Aoba,” his voice was strained and his face was paler than usual. “Are you okay?”

Aoba nodded the affirmative. “It was just a dream. I am sorry to have worried you.”

“If you need to talk, you know I am here for you,” his eyes made it clear he was trying to urge him to talk about his time in captivity. He sat in silence, eyes cast down to avoid Koujaku’s gaze. There was no way he could talk about anything that happened to him. No yet at least. The memories were vague, but what little he could remember were terrifying to the point he desperately wanted to forget them.

Luckily, he was saved from having to reply as someone else entered the room. He didn’t have to look up to know who it was with the scent of cinnamon wafting over his senses. Strange, he hadn’t noticed the aroma when the man had found him or even when he had helped him out of the bath. Even so, he had the feeling he always smelled that way. He found comfort in the small detail he seemed to instinctively recall.

Koujaku stood from the bed as Mink approached them. “Did you find anything?”

Mink didn’t answer, but Aoba could feel the intensity of those golden eyes upon him. He looked up to return his scrutiny as he once again got the faintest flash of a moment shared between the two.

“Blue,” he whispered before he could even register his mouth had opened. “Your eyes were blue.”

Mink’s eyebrows scrunched up ever so slightly. “Not naturally. Did you have another nightmare?”

Another? This was the first one he could recall. Thinking on it, his recollection of the time to pass since he awoke in the alley was frustratingly hazy and most of it was spent unconscious in the large man’s care. Of course Mink would be aware of him having nightmares before this. He nodded, never taking his eyes off the man. He wanted to say something, but words escaped him. Mink seemed to understand his struggle as he turned to Koujaku.

“I will take care of him from here,” he stated calmly. “You should get some rest.”

Koujaku bobbed his head in understanding. “Let me know if anything happens.”

With that, he found himself once again alone with Mink. Said man moved to sit in a chair he hadn’t realized was next to his bed. He assumed Koujaku had brought it in while watching over him as he slept. He felt those golden eyes scrutinizing him again and tilted his head downwards. All the attention he has been receiving today was starting to make him uncomfortable.

“Aoba,” he looked up at his name being said. Mink’s voice had returned to the gentle timber that seemed unfitting of him. “Are you feeling any better?”

There is a moment’s hesitation as Aoba thinks over the question. Mentally and emotionally he can’t tell any difference in how he feels now as opposed to when he was set free. After thinking it over carefully, he decides Mink was probably meaning physically better as the answer to his emotional wellness seemed obvious the more he lingered on it.

“The pain has subsided a lot, but my head still hurts,” he settled on saying.

Mink nodded. “I would imagine that is the work of whatever drug they had you on. Most likely the cause of your memory loss as well.”

Aoba sighed. “At least I seem to only have temporary amnesia. I am slowly regaining some of what happened before I was taken.”

He didn’t continue after that, but he somehow felt Mink understood what else he wanted to say. It seemed the more he recalled memories he seemed to lose of his time before Virus and Trip took him into their brutal care, the more vivid his memories of what he experienced in the past two years became. Up until now, the past two years were nothing but a blur of pain, but he is starting to remember some of the specific details of what those monsters put him through. A part of him wanted desperately to just tell Mink the identities of the two men so the other would exact revenge for him. That was only a small part, though. Aoba really didn’t want to cause Mink any trouble. It was bad enough he seemed to be spending so much time looking after him.

Besides, Koujaku’s question earlier indicated that Mink was already investigating anyways. It was unlikely he would find any information at all regarding where he was or who even had him in the first place, but he silently hoped he would. At least then Aoba wouldn’t have to tell him. Talking about it would only make the memories flood his head faster.

He turned his gaze back to Mink, unsurprised at this point to find the other watching him closely. He wracked his brain for a moment in attempt to come up with a subject change and was rewarded when his stomach rumbled with the perfect topic.

Mink smirked faintly. “We should take care of that.”

He stood and extended a hand to Aoba which he took without hesitating. This man has more than proven that he can be trusted. The taller helped him to his feet and offered support when they started to leave the room. Aoba was pleasantly surprised to find his legs weren’t nearly as shaky as they were before. He still felt incredibly weak, but this was definitely a good sign. He smiled to himself as he allowed Mink to lead him down stairs on a quest for food, his nightmare forgotten for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wrote this chapter twice because I had originally introduced Noiz and then had Mink come in and an argument started that I felt Koujaku should be having with Noiz came up, so I started over and my brain screamed at me that Noiz was too intense to expose Aoba to just yet. So there you have it. I promise Noiz will pop up soon along with Clear.
> 
> On a different note, work kicked my ass today, so this chapter almost didn't get finished at all. Thank you, alcohol for making me want to write after work. -insert a random smiley face here-
> 
> Enjoy!


	5. A Moment's Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba has a break down and Mink has to calm him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was a little late because my Noiz costume finally arrived and I spent the entire weekend building Usagimodoki cubes and doing photo shoots. I am much excite! That said, this chapter is a little longer than the last in apology.

He felt a sudden weight press down on him in the darkness of the room. He felt a sense of panic wash over him as he realized he was back in their grasp. He wanted desperately to cry out and fight back, but he could sense the man on top of him wasn’t the only person to enter the room. So he was going to be punished by both of them today?

“Aoooba,” the man on top of him whispered. “Have you missed me? It has been a while since I have been able to come see you.”

Aoba nodded obediently, his breath hitching as he heard footsteps approach them. The one on top of him licked at the shell of his ear as the other knelt down beside them. He could feel both sets of eyes upon him as he squirmed uncomfortably. He wanted desperately to be free of these two men, especially now after having had a taste of safety after all this time.

“Aoba-san,” the second man spoke next to him as the other moved down to nip at his exposed shoulder, surely leaving marks. “You are thinking about being away from us, aren’t you? You are thinking about being back with him, hmmm?”

He screamed out as the first’s teeth sank into his flesh hard enough to draw blood. The man drew back, lapping up the crimson liquid before speaking. “You belong to only us, Aoba. He can never have you back.”

“Aoba,” he jerked violently at the new voice, his suddenly freed hand shooting out and hitting the closest person to him as hard as he could, his screams growing louder. The person grunted, roughly pulling Aoba into their arms and holding him tightly. “I have you, not them.”

His eyes shot open as he was finally able to place the new voice. He looked up to see Mink’s hardened gaze boring into him. “Mink?”

Those golden eyes softened slightly. “You are safe now. I promise you.”

Aoba nodded, unable to help himself as tears started rolling down his cheeks. He practically deflated as he relaxed into the older man’s arms, allowing himself to depend on him, if only for a little while. Mink let his hold loosen as if to allow Aoba to decide whether or not he wanted to move away from him. Aoba timidly brought his arms up to circle around the man’s back. He felt a puff of air against his hair as Mink let out a breath he hadn’t realized the other man was holding, the grip around him tightening again. He felt safe as the flashes from his dream began to fade into nothingness while wrapped in Mink’s protective hold.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours before Aoba began to pull away from him, wiping the tears from his face as he did. “I am okay now.”

Mink respectfully stood from the bed and moved back to the chair beside the bed. “You should rest some more.”

Aoba nodded as he laid back down on the bed, pulling his covers over his shoulders. He stared over at Mink whose gaze was turned to the window to watch the rain fall outside. The man looked at ease now that Aoba was calmed down. He must have made him worry. He lost track of how much time passed before he fell asleep, completely missing Mink’s eyes turning back to him, a very faint smile on his lips.

Hours later, he was roused from his slumber by a peaceful song coming from somewhere in the room. It was a calming melody that he felt he had heard before, but couldn’t quite place. He opened his eyes, squinting against the sunlight streaming through his window. Sitting on the floor with Ren in his lap was a tall man with silver hair wearing a white lab coat. He had a cheery air about him as he sang his song.

When Aoba sat up, the man perked at the sound and rose his gaze, the song forgotten.

“Aoba-san!” his voice was just as bubbly as the man himself. “Did I wake you?”

He shook his head. “I know that song.”

The man looked crestfallen. “So Aoba-san really has forgotten about all of us, just like Mink-san said.” He perked back up again. “It’s the Jellyfish Song, Aoba-san! And I am Clear!”

Aoba couldn’t help but smile. He could vaguely remember his voice in his head. He got the feeling he had fallen asleep many times to the very melody he awoke to. “It is good to see you again, Clear.”

Clear grinned really wide at that. “And I am glad that Aoba-san is okay! I was so worried when you disappeared on us! But you are back now!” He hugged Ren in his arms, his grin never fading. “Come on! Tae-san made lunch!”

Clear jumped to his feet in excitement. Aoba stood up, almost stumbling when he did. Luckily, Clear was quick to grab him and offer support. The two then made their way downstairs to eat. Aoba felt happy in the taller man’s presence and time seemed to fly by. Before he knew it, Clear was looking at his watch, a frown on his face.

“Aoba-san, I have to be getting to work now,” he looked at him, his smile coming back a little. “I will make sure to come and visit you again soon, yeah?”

Aoba gave a nod, grinning himself. “Tell Mizuki I said hi!” His brows furrowed at his own words. It felt natural to say that to Clear, but he failed to recall the two knowing each other.

Clear seemed to notice as he put a hand on his shoulder. “I work as a bartender at Black Needle. You just remembered that, right?”

“Something like that,” his head was beginning to hurt a bit. “I remember Mizuki and Koujaku perfectly, but can hardly remember much about anyone else. I didn’t know you worked for Mizuki. It just felt like something I should say.”

Clear nodded in understanding. “I will pass along your greeting. Mizuki will be happy to know you are okay. He has been worried about you, too.”

Aoba merely nodded as Clear flashed one last grin and took his leave. He went back to his room, supporting himself on the wall as he did. He decided it would be best to just take a shower and go to bed. He got his stuff together before heading to the bathroom, turning on the shower before stripping down and getting in. The hot water felt relaxing to him and he basked in it for a moment before washing his hair and body. Once finished, he stepped out and reached for his towel, drying himself off so he could get dressed. He stopped in the process once he got to his legs, his gaze falling upon his thighs. His skin was riddled with red scars, horrid reminders of what he went through. His breaths came out in quickened pants as he began to hyperventilate. Virus loved to leave tally marks on his thighs before having his way with him. He said it was so Aoba could never forget their encounters. Tears welled up in his eyes as the memories flooded back. He could still hear Virus’s voice in his ear telling him he was a good boy as the blade cut into him.

He jumped backwards and fell to the ground as a knock resounded through the bathroom. Upon hearing the noise of his fall, whoever knocked quickly opened the door and stepped inside, immediately coming to his aid. Aoba couldn’t even register what was going on as his thoughts were still on his scarred thighs. He could hear the worry in Mink’s voice as he spoke, but none of the words were reaching him. He felt as a robe was wrapped around him and he was lifted into strong arms. He felt the sensation of being carried to his room where he was placed on his bed.

None of it was registering in his addled mind. His thighs stung as if the cuts were being reopened, even though most of them were healed up. He began to full on sob, clinging to himself as he sat on the bed, Mink no longer next to him. A few moments later, he felt a gentle hand on his cheek. He flinched away from the touch only to have his face held in place as thumbs wiped his tears away. His vision was blurry at this point, but he still managed to look at Mink as if finally registering his presence fully. It was then that he realized Mink was talking to him. He probably hadn’t stopped since he had entered the bathroom to help Aoba when he fell.

“—ve now, Aoba. I have you. You are going to be alright,” his words were ones of comfort. He was probably speaking absentmindedly as he tried desperately to calm him down. Aoba must have appeared more present than he had for the eyes before him softened again and the hands retreated from his face to reach beside himself. “Can you understand me now?”

Aoba nodded, sniffling grossly. A sense of self-loathing came over him all at once as it hit him that he was being a burden to Mink. This man no doubt had things to do, a job even, and yet, he came back every day, often checking on him to make sure he was okay and staying by his side every night. Of course when Aoba would wake up in the mornings, the man was gone, but he somehow knew Mink stayed by his side the entire night.

“We need to get you dressed, okay?” Mink’s hands moved up to his robe. He grabbed a hold of it, but didn’t go any farther, looking to Aoba for permission. Aoba took a deep breath and nodded, closing his eyes as the robe was removed. He kept his eyes closed as he moved his arms to assist Mink in getting the shirt on him. Next, he was pulled to stand so he could step into boxers before Mink sat him back down and returned to his position kneeling in front of him. Aoba opened his eyes to see Mink looking at his thighs, eyes full of sorrow.

“They marked each time they touched you,” he observed.

Aoba cleared his throat. “One of them did.” He closed his eyes again, desperately trying not to start crying again. He really didn’t want to talk about this. He knew if the conversation progressed any farther, Mink would draw the identities of the two men from him. He was not ready to face what would happen when it was out in the open.

He jumped when he suddenly felt slender fingers brush against his scars. His eyes shot open to look at Mink as if making sure it was him. The look of sorrow was still clouding his features. He felt a pang in his chest at the sight. Mink leaned forward, brushing his lips against his thigh, making Aoba tense momentarily before relaxing as the other sat back.

“I swear on my life, I will make whoever did this to you pay,” his gaze never left Aoba’s legs. “I will protect you at all costs, Aoba.”

Their eyes met and that was all it took for Aoba to break down into tears once more. He felt himself being lifted into Mink’s arms once again. He cried loudly as Mink brought them both to lay down, Aoba resting on his chest as he was being held tightly. That night, he cried himself to sleep while clinging desperately to the one thing that made him feel safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! I seriously hope I wrote Clear alright. I am slightly worried that I made him too peppy and childish. I am so sorry if I did!!! Anyways, I have outlines written out all the way to chapter 10, so hopefully I can get those out in a timely manner!
> 
> Also, shout out to Benishigure_hippo for helping me make sure it was obvious who was who in the opening scene without saying it outright. If it's not as obvious as I was going for and anyone is confused, just let me know and I will fix it.
> 
> Enjoy!


	6. The Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba starts to notice some strange feelings surfacing inside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically a filler chapter I wanted to get out as fast as possible in order to make up for not posting all weekend. I also didn't want to get into the big confrontation between Mink and Aoba about feelings because then this chapter would be about 7 pages and I don't want to make a chapter that long until later on.

Aoba awoke the next morning to the smell of cinnamon and a broad chest beneath his head. He snuggled closer to the source, finding comfort in the steady rhythm of the man’s heart beating and the rise and fall of his breath. He felt an odd sensation in his chest, but decided now was definitely not the time to be thinking about it. Right now, all he wanted to do was bask in the warm safety surrounding him.

“Oi,” Mink’s voice broke the calm, his tone having returned to its hardened timber from the gentle whispers from the night before. “I know you are awake, Aoba. You should get up.”

Aoba groaned and clung to him tighter. Getting up was the last thing he wanted to do. He felt more than heard Mink’s defeated sigh. Aoba smiled to himself, snuggling into the other’s chest. He felt Mink rubbing his back and nearly drifted off to sleep before he heard the man mumble something about fifteen more minutes.

Unfortunately for him, at the end of those fifteen minutes, he was more or less forced up as Mink sat up, keeping his arms around the smaller of the two as means of making sure he wouldn’t go back to sleep. Aoba’s whine at the action quickly turned into a squeal as he suddenly found himself on the floor, Mink’s footsteps walking to his closet where he grabbed a bag that appeared to have Mink’s clothes in it. Moments later, Mink had grabbed himself an outfit and pulled another for Aoba from his closet, tossing them to him before exiting the room to change in the bathroom.

Aoba huffed as he sat on the floor, slowly dressing himself. He had to admit, he felt far more energized today than he did the day before. He couldn’t even recall dreaming of anything for once. It was almost like Mink’s presence next to him had scared away the nightmares and gave way for a good night’s rest. His mind started to wonder a bit, causing him to remember one small detail of the previous night that he had completely forgotten about.

He blushed furiously as he recalled Mink’s lips upon his skin. At the time, it had startled him, but oddly enough, it had calmed him down a bit. He still felt in his mind that Mink wasn’t normally that gentle with anyone, but that thought brought comfort with it. He felt a little special when he thought about it. Maybe Mink was taking such good care of him because he cared about him.

Just as quickly as that thought entered his mind, he shot it down. No, Mink didn’t care for him like that. He was only trying to help him recover because they were friends. Right? Right. Mink definitely did not feel anything like that for him. Surely the kiss upon his scars were nothing more than a gesture of comfort to let him know that he wasn’t being hurt anymore. His thoughts immediately began to flutter once more with terrible thoughts of being nothing but a burden to the man. He really needed to take care of himself instead of allowing Mink to continue feeling obligated to do so for him.

His thoughts shifted once again as Mink reentered the room, holding a hand out to him. “Tae made you breakfast. You should come eat it.”

He allowed himself to be dragged down the stairs and into the kitchen. As soon as he sat down, Mink placed a hand on his shoulder to grab his attention. “You are thinking too much. I will be back later today.”

With that, Mink was gone, leaving Aoba alone with his Granny. He looked over to her as she placed food in front of him. She took the seat across from him and stared intently at him.

“If there is something you need to say, then spit it out,” her voice was stern, yet her eyes were warm and inviting. He smiled at her. He had missed her a lot while he was away.

“Granny…” he suddenly hesitated. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to talk about. Part of him wanted to ask about how she was in his time away. Another part of him wanted to spill everything he had been through. Then, another, smaller, part of him wanted to talk about the strange feelings he was feeling bubbling up inside him when Mink was around. He took a deep breath as he made up his mind. “Granny, I am scared.”

She made a small noise to let him know she was listening, so he continued. “I get this weird feeling in my chest whenever Mink is around me. It feels warm and safe and I can’t quite place it. It’s kind of like I am developing feelings for him. But on the other hand, I can’t tell if I really, truly am, or if it is just attachment from him being the one to bring me back here.”

“Aoba,” she started after a momentary silence. “You have been through a lot lately and it is completely possible that you are growing fond of him as your protector. He has been staying close to you since he found you in that alley and has done everything in his power to make sure you are comfortable and safe. Every day, he has left here in search of the answers we have all spent the past two years trying to find and every night he returns to make sure you are still here and safe. He is a rough man and I will admit, when I first met him, I had my doubts about him, but he has really shown the kind of person he truly is since the day you disappeared.”

She leaned forward a little, her eyes serious as she gazed at him. “He was the first person to start looking for you, Aoba. He was the one who tracked down Noiz and ask him to use his computer skills to repair Ren in hopes of identifying the ones who took you. That man has spent the past two years tirelessly searching all over and following any lead he could possibly grasp in hopes of finding you and bringing justice upon those who wronged you.”

Aoba sat there in absolute shock trying to process all the information Granny had just offered him. Mink did all of that just for him. While he was being tormented day in and day out by those two, Mink was leading his team, as well as Aoba’s friends, in a desperate search for him; a search which ultimately had failed. The more he thought about it, the more his heart swelled in his chest and tears threatened to spill over. Even though Mink had failed to locate Aoba and his kidnappers, he still kept searching for him. He wanted so desperately to rescue him that he threw every ounce of his being into the search. He had enlisted the help of every possible resource at his disposal just for him.

The thoughts of being a burden weighed down on him once more, but this time the sense of happiness overpowered it until it was only a small speck in the corner of his mind. He still couldn’t be sure if he really had feelings for Mink or not, but he was happy with just knowing how much Mink was doing for him. Maybe he could tell him who did this to him. He mentally kicked himself for even thinking that much. Of course he couldn’t tell Mink. Not yet at least. The only thing that would accomplish would be Mink throwing himself even harder into tracking them down.

On one hand, that is exactly what Aoba wanted. He wanted more than anything for Virus and Trip to suffer for what they put him through. On the other, he didn’t want to cause any more trouble than he already had.

“Aoba,” Tae’s voice was calm. “You should talk to him. If you won’t trust anyone else, at least trust in him. It would do you both some good to come to terms with everything, but don’t rush yourself.”

He nodded in response and began eating his meal. Once they were done eating, Tae cleaned up the dishes and looked over Aoba’s injuries, tending to the ones that still needed it. After he was all patched up, he returned to his room, plopping down on his bed and putting his headphones on. He decided to take a small nap and try to forget about everything. He couldn’t help but let his mind wonder back to Mink. The man had done so much for him and he wouldn’t even trust him with the identities of his attackers. He should really talk to him later. He sighed to himself before drifting off to the rhythm of his music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise they are going to hook up soon. Well, not sexually, yet, but yeah. Romance is coming, you guys, Hang in there!


	7. A First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a tender moment shared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is another short one, but I felt it better to have just this scene and not have it flow into something else.

The next time Aoba awoke, it was to Mink gently shaking his shoulder. He rolled over to look at the man curiously. He was sitting on the edge of his bed giving a look that said whatever it was he needed, he would not be taking no for an answer. After a few moments of the two staring at each other, the taller broke the silence, his voice firm.

“Tae told me you needed to talk to me about something important,” he deadpanned.

Aoba’s eyes widened at his words. So Granny wanted him to talk to Mink now? Why couldn’t it wait until he managed to sort everything out in his mind? He sat up slowly, his face flushed and his gaze no longer able to meet that of his companion. This was seriously embarrassing. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as his mind raced with everything he wanted to say; all the feelings he wanted to put on the table, but was too scared of. He jolted out of his thoughts when Mink’s hand returned to his shoulder.

“Aoba,” those golden eyes searched his for a moment as if trying to gauge the severity of the situation. “Whatever you need to tell me, I will listen. That is what I am here for.”

He felt a pang in his chest. Again, he got the sense that this man was never this gentle or caring with anyone. What was it that was causing him to be this delicate with him now? He took a deep breath before deciding to talk.

“Mink, I’m scared,” he tried his hardest to keep his eyes locked with Mink’s. “I am scared that they will come back for me. I am scared that they released me just so I could get a taste for freedom before taking me back into their lives and torturing me again. I am scared that they will take me away from here and I won’t come back a second time. I am scared that I am going to be taken away from you.”

His words flowed from his mouth faster than he could even think about what he was even saying as tears started to form in his eyes. “It scares me that I feel so warm and safe with you being here. I am scared because I can’t even tell if my feelings for you are real or something my mind created just because you were the one to find me. I am terrified and I don’t know what to do anymore! I am growing attached to you in ways that I don’t think I should and it scar—“

He was cut off from his rambling as Mink leaned towards him. Before he could process what was happening, surprisingly soft lips met his in a tender kiss. His breath hitched and his eyes widened at the sensation. Mink’s warmth seeped into him through this one simple kiss. His mind went completely blank as his eyes fell closed and he slowly pressed his lips back into the other man’s. The only thing he could bring himself to think about was the faint taste of cinnamon on his lips.

The kiss ended just as quickly as it began leaving Aoba slightly disappointed. He just sat breathlessly, eyes still closed. He felt Mink’s forehead rest against his own and could tell he was observing his reactions. After a beat of silence, the other whispered to him so quietly he could only barely hear his deep voice.

“Aoba, look at me,” he waited until Aoba did as he said to continue. “I will never let any of that happen. If they try to come and take you away, I will be waiting for them. They will pay for everything they put you through. I promise you, Aoba, that I will always protect you.”

The younger of the two brought his hands up to burry in Mink’s dreads as his tears returned. He smiled widely as strong arms pulled him closer, almost sitting him on his lap. He tried to offer his thanks, but instead ended up sobbing into the broad chest in front of him as Mink rubbed his back soothingly. He felt oddly happy at that moment. Once he had managed to calm down again, he pulled back from their embrace, gazing up at Mink. The man looked at ease like he did the night he was watching the rain fall outside as Aoba fell asleep.

“Aoba,” he said, his voice still soft but with a faint hint of an emotion he hadn’t used before. Aoba merely smiled before leaning in to initiate a short kiss, this one having a little more force than their last.

“Mink,” he whispered as he pulled back. “Stay with me.”

“Always,” was the gentle reply. He pulled Aoba more into his arms as he stood from the bed. “Let’s go for a walk. It’s been a while since you have been outside.”

Aoba felt nervous at the suggestion, but decided to go along with it. Mink did say he would protect him, after all. The thought brought back his doubts, but he pushed them aside. It seemed Mink returned the feelings he had welling inside him. That means he is allowed to lean on him, right? Mink wouldn’t have told him he would be there for him if he wasn’t okay with being depended on, right? Right.

He gave a small nod, his mind made up. The fresh air would do him good and he was beginning to feel cooped up staying in his room and sleeping all the time. He could really use the exercise when he stopped to think about it for a moment. Yeah, this was okay. He would be alright. Besides, nothing could touch him so long as he is with Mink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, I promise Noiz will show up. I have been waiting to write him since chapter 3.
> 
> Enjoy!


	8. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything comes into light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this past week has been a cluster fuck of work and cosplay. Unfortunately, next week is going to be no better as my Aoba wig is set to arrive on Monday and Benishigure_hippo's Koujaku wig arrived last night, mean this week is going to be endless photoshoots of Koujaku/Aoba, Koujaku/Noiz, and possible Noiz/Aoba. I will try to have the next chapter out by the end of the week if I come across the time to write it. Please bear with me, here.

Aoba gripped Mink’s hand tightly as they made their way down the semi-crowded streets. He was beginning to get the sinking suspicion that this was a really bad idea, but didn’t want to tell the other man so. He looked around the area, his eyes landing on a bench nearby. He quickly pointed Mink in that direction as the other man nodded, leading him over to it.

“Will you be okay here while I go find you something cold to drink?” Mink asked as Aoba sat down. Aoba hesitated for a moment before nodding briefly to him. Within a few moments, he was left completely alone on the bench.

As soon as Mink was out of sight, the noise of a loud rowdy group erupted from an alleyway and many of the passersby began running in that direction. Aoba nearly jumped out of his skin as his eyes darted after them. His fingers tightened the edge of the bench as more and more people rushed passed him. Before he can even think about anything else, his blood runs cold as he hears something else. A familiar voice that he knew all too well.

“Aoba-san,” the voice said from directly behind him. “It is so good to see you out and about again. We heard you had returned.”

His entire body tensed up as the color drained completely from his face. Gentle hands came from behind, wrapping around his shoulders as the man leaned over him. “We have missed you in your absence.”

Too warm breath brushed over his ear as he felt the presence of someone coming to sit beside him. His own breathing quickened dangerously as the two closed in on him. His thoughts immediately jumping to the thought of being taken away again. His confessions to Mink earlier ringing through his mind as everything blurred together in his head. They really were toying with him by letting him go. He jolted as a third voice called out to him, bringing him back to his surroundings.

“Oi, Aoba!” standing a few feet away was a third blonde, his eyes narrowed at the three on the bench. “You here for Rhyme? I didn’t figure you would be feeling well enough for that yet.”

Green eyes seemed to drag over his body critically, seeming to observe his every reaction. The two hanging around him moved away slightly, gazes turned to the newcomer, clearly discontent with being interrupted. Aoba’s breathing was still too heavy to respond properly. He felt a hand tighten around his shoulder as Virus stood up straight.

“Ah, hello there, Noiz-san,” his voice seemed normal enough when he spoke. Aoba internally perked up a bit upon hearing the name. He could barely recognize the newcomer, but he knew that name. Noiz was the one who repaired Ren while he was gone and used his hacking skills to assist Mink in trying to find him when he was captured by these men. If Mink trusted this man, he must be an ally.

“Virus,” he nodded shortly. “Haven’t seen you around here in a while. The yakuza finally interested in Rhyme again?”

Virus hummed slightly. “Something like that. We heard Aoba was returned safely and wanted to see him again.”

Aoba’s eyes widened as it suddenly hit him what these two were up to. He had assumed the two had disappeared after dropping him in that alley, but now it was pretty clear that the two were sticking around to throw the others off their scent. This was bad. Very bad. He was practically paralyzed in fear at this point, causing him to completely miss the rest of the conversation.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Noiz’s face becoming the only thing he could see as the blonde had crouched in front of him, hands firm on his shoulders. Those eyes were staring into his own, concern taking over his entire expression. It was then that he realized the two of them were the only ones on the street, though he could still hear the Rhyme crowd chanting in the distance. It took him a few moments of silence to process Noiz had asked him a question. He merely blinked at the blonde.

Noiz clicked his tongue as he moved his hands from Aoba’s shoulders to his face, making sure the older of the two kept his gaze firmly locked with his. “I asked if you are okay. You looked on the verge of panic when I came around the corner. Did those two say something?” There was a beat of silence, Noiz’s eyes widening as he put the pieces together before Aoba could so much as open his mouth.

“I should have known,” he quickly stood, looking around the surrounding area even though they both knew Virus and Trip were long gone. His eyes turned back to the man on the bench and he opened his mouth to speak again, but stopped and Mink called out to him, having just returned to the street they were on.

Mink came to a stop next to them, his eyes shifting from Aoba’s still panic stricken expression to Noiz’s obviously pissed off one. Instantly, his mind jumped to a conclusion as he locked his hard gaze onto Noiz. “What exactly happened here?”

Noiz’s eyes snapped to his. “I know exactly what happened to Aoba two years ago. It all makes perfect fucking sense now!” The blonde’s breaths came out in huffs, something that felt oddly uncharacteristic of him to Aoba. Similar to how he felt Mink was never gentle with anyone, he could sense that Noiz never lost his cool like he was now. “Those fucking sons of bitches!”

“Noiz, calm down!” Mink commanded, causing the shorter to round on him, anger blazing in his eyes.

“You expect me to calm down when I just met the bastards that put Aoba through all that shit and I fucking let them walk away?” his loud voice caused Aoba to flinch.

One of Mink’s hands shot out to grab at Noiz’s collar. “Then it seems you have a lot to tell me, Maniac.”

Aoba stood on shaky legs, reaching his hand out to tug on Mink’s coat sleeve. “Mink,” his voice was frail when he spoke. Both of the other two immediately snapped out of their stare down to look to Aoba who was beginning to shake violently. “It was…”

He stopped short as his hands tightened around Mink’s sleeve. Mink stepped away from Noiz and pulled Aoba into his strong arms, one hand coming up to thread his fingers through silky blue hair. Aoba let out a chocked sound in his throat as he looked between the two men. He finally locked his gaze on Noiz who simply nodded his encouragement, pure rage still flashing in his eyes.

“It was Virus and Trip,” he finally whispered. He could feel Mink’s arms tighten around him as he began to shake in fury. When Aoba was able to lift his gaze to the man holding him, he immediately wished he hadn’t. Mink’s face was outwardly stony, but his eyes danced with a blazing fire, one Aoba could vaguely remember seeing before. The blue eyes he remembered this man having used to constantly burn with them. Instantly, he knew Mink had set his mind on murder now that he had his targets in sight.

“Those sly bastards,” his voice was dangerously low, completely devoid of all emotion. This was the deep voice he sometimes heard in his mind when he tried to recall more about this man he had grown to have feelings for. “They sat there and pretended to help us search for you.”

Noiz cracked his knuckles as he opened his mouth to respond to Mink. “It makes sense, though. I was unable to unearth any information at all about the men who took Aoba prisoner no matter where I looked. Trip and Virus knew where we were searching, which enabled them to cover their tracks flawlessly.”

“They lead us away from their trail,” Mink pulled away from Aoba slightly. “Noiz, I want you to contact the others. We have work to do.”

Noiz nodded and began fiddling with his coil. “Keep Aoba safe tonight. I will work on pinpointing those two.”

“Always,” Mink muttered as he lifted Aoba off the ground, bridal-style. Aoba wanted to protest, but the look in the man’s eyes made him think better of it. “Bring everyone to Aoba’s place. We need to work on a plan.”

Noiz merely nodded as he took off, leaving Mink to carry Aoba back to his place. A cold feeling settled over him. On the inside, he knew it was good that everyone was now aware of his assailants, but a small part of him felt that revenge was not the answer to any of this. He knew, however, that there was absolutely no way he would be able to talk Mink down from this. He already knew that Virus and Trip were as good as dead with Mink on their scent. He could tell in the back of his mind that Mink never failed anything he set his mind to, least of all, plots of revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand, the excitement is finally upon us. I am still trying to decide how to go about the revenge part, as I see Virus and Trip putting up an exquisite fight, but I am uncertain that I am able to write that kind of thing very well... This will be fun times for all. I hope you guys aren't too mad about this chapter. ;P
> 
> Enjoy!!!


	9. Comforting Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nightmares strike again, but as always, Mink is there to make everything better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big shout out to beldrakon. Their comment on the last chapter kind of made me realize I was neglecting this story more than I thought I was and forced me to kick my own ass and write the next chapter already. I literally stayed up all night drinking Mountain Dew and eating random snacks to force this one out. I hope the quality didn't suffer as a result...

Everything was dark. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t hear a thing. It’s cold. So cold. He tried to keep his breathing steady, but he was shaking badly. How did he get here? He couldn’t even recall. He was unable to even discern how long he had been here to begin with.

Somewhere in the distance, he could hear a door open and footsteps echo as they came near him. “Aoba-san,” a familiar voice spoke to him. “Have you been good while I was away?”

He shivered even worse than before as a hand gently stroked his hair out of his face. He heard a set of keys jingle before his restrains were removed and he was pulled to sit up. “I should reward you, Aoba-san. You didn’t even struggle today. You are such a good boy.”

He felt himself being lifted into the man’s arms and carried out of the room. The hallway they entered was refreshingly warm compared to his chamber. He could now see faint light peek under the edge of his blind fold. He wanted desperately to struggle out of this man’s hold and run free, but he knew he was far too weak to get anywhere.

Once they reached their destination, he was placed ever so gently into the center of a plush bed. He felt his blood run cold as he was suddenly hit with the realization of what was in store for him today. He was used to this kind of thing at this point, but it frightened him no less now than when he was first brought here. He felt the bed dip as his tormentor crawled to lean over him. He could feel his weight pressing down on him. He wanted to fight back and escape, but it was hopeless. He had to be a good boy. If he wasn’t a good boy, he would just worsen his own punishment.

“Aoba-san, I am going to give you a reward for behaving yourself,” as those words left his lips, he felt the man’s hot body enter him, ripping a loud scream from his lips.

He reached out a hand, desperately clawing at the man above him. The faintly pained sound that filled the air in response was far different from his kidnapper’s though. All at once, he realized the weight pressing down on him wasn’t completely on top of him, rather it felt as though someone was leaning over him from the side. Rough yet comfortingly gentle hands were gripping his shoulders, seemingly having been previously trying to shake him.

He gasped for breath as he opened his eyes to be greeted by the sight of Mink’s concerned gaze staring down at him. He tensed up, shakily removing his hands from their tight grip on Mink’s shirt. His eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t help himself at this point. He broke down sobbing, immediately getting scooped up into the other man’s arms and pulled to sit on his lap so he could burry is face in his shirt.

“I’m sorry,” he stammered into the other’s chest. “I’m so sorry, Mink. I didn’t mean to hurt you! I was just so scared. I didn’t know what to do.”

“It is okay, Aoba,” Mink’s voice was softer than he imagined it could be as he cooed at him soothingly. “You have nothing to apologize for. What those two did to you was horrible. You are allowed to feel fear.”

He clung tighter to him as he felt a large hand rub circles up and down his back. He was beyond terrified in light of his frequent vivid nightmares of being back in the grasp of those two monsters, but in the arms of this man, he felt safe, as though nothing could touch him here. It felt like hours before he managed to calm down enough to breathe. Mink remained patient with him, his arms wound tight around him, hands constantly moving on his back as he whispered sweet nothings into his hair, every now and then stopping to brush his lips against the top of his head.

Once he finally stopped shaking so violently and his weeping had finally subsided, he lifted his head to look up at Mink. The taller offered a faint smile and brought his hands up to wipe his tears away. After a brief moment, Aoba raised up just enough so their lips could meet in a fervent kiss. He tried his best to pour all his thoughts and emotions into this one simple action. There were too many words he wanted to say to this man. Too many things he needed this man to know. When his movements were met with equal enthusiasm, he instantly knew Mink understood every unspoken word on his mind.

He wrapped his arms tightly around Mink’s shoulders, pulling their bodies closer together as the kiss deepened. He felt the arms around him slide down to his waist to assist in his need to be closer. Their mouths opened to let each other in and explore. Somewhere in the back of Aoba’s mind, he was able to register the faint taste of cinnamon on his tongue as Mink’s flicked out to meet it.

Seemingly an eternity later, they separated from the searing kiss, both breathing heavily as their eyes met. Mink tilted his head forward slightly so their foreheads came together. Aoba couldn’t help but smile in response. Yeah, he was definitely safe here. He closed his eyes for a moment before sinking himself farther into Mink’s arms. He snuggled close to his chest, almost purring when the other took the hint and laid them back down on the bed. Even after just having woken up, his little panic attacks always made exhausted him beyond belief. He knew in his mind Mink would stay awake for hours more, keeping a watchful eye on him for any signs of possible nightmares, but he was unable to keep himself conscious any longer than he already had. His body was weary from all the crying. The steady rhythm of Mink’s heart just below his head made such a lovely lullaby as he allowed himself to become submerged by sleep once more. He vaguely heard Mink whisper something to him before he completely lost consciousness.

“I will always protect you. No matter what.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. Next chapter will most likely be another filler chapter. Virus and Trip are gonna be really hard to find now that they have allowed themselves to be known. Also, if anyone is interested and hasn't seen it yet, I started writing a side story to this one that centers on Koujaku and Noiz during the time they spent searching for Aoba. I know it's no where near as well done as this one, but it is still my baby and you should all go check it out. It's Save Me From Myself.
> 
> Enjoy!


	10. The Recounting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba opens up about some of his experiences while imprisoned with the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this took forever to finish! I seriously hope you guys aren't too disappointed with me!
> 
> Fun Fact: Most of this was written while listening to the Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Remix Soundtrack, so if this seems overly sappy, I blame it on the feels of my childhood!

He sat on the couch with a large, warm blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders. There was far too much noise around him for his own comfort. After he had gotten some well-deserved sleep, Mink had coaxed him downstairs where they were greeted by Koujaku, Mizuki, Noiz, and Clear all either standing or sitting in the living room, clearly waiting for them. He looked over at the man next to him, inching himself closer when he didn't seem to notice his gaze on him. The conversation kept going, but he felt instantly better when he felt Mink's arm wrap tightly around him, pulling his head to rest on his shoulder.

"Aoba," he whispered into his hair. "Are you alright?"

As soon as the words left his lips, the room fell dead silent. He buried his face into the man's neck, embarrassed at everyone's eyes upon him. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want everyone looking at him. He just wanted to be left alone. He wasn’t ready to talk to anyone. This is not at all what he wanted.

"Mink," he hesitated briefly, biting his lower lip. "It's too loud."

He feels Mink's grip on him tighten for a moment before his hand began rubbing his arm soothingly. He heard a shuffle across from him and footsteps softly exit the room in the direction of the kitchen. When he looked up to check, Noiz was the only other person still in the room with them. The blond leaned forward slightly, looking into Aoba's eyes before flicking a glance at Mink, seemingly asking for silent permission before speaking.

"Aoba," his voice was soft. "Can you tell us anything about where Virus and Trip were keeping you locked up?"

He looked up to Mink, finding his stern golden eyes staring back at him. He really didn't want to remember that place. He definitely never wanted to speak of it again. He knew eventually he would have to, but right now, he just wanted to crawl in a hole and probably die. Yeah, that sounded nice. The nightmares would stop, he would no longer feel pain, he would never see Mink’s smile he gave him when no one was around to see. Wait. No. He shook his head, biting his lip. No. He had something he needed to live for. He needed to stay strong so he could stay with Mink. He needed to talk about this now.

Before he could open his mouth, however, Mink’s face was suddenly close enough to his he could feel his warm breath ghosted over his. They stared at each other for a few moments before Mink kissed him sweetly. Aoba relaxed into the kiss momentarily forgetting Noiz was in the room with them. When they broke apart, Mink gave him a gentle smile as if to tell him everything would be alright. He could only hope he was right.

Taking a deep breath, Aoba removed the blanket from around himself and turned back to face the blond they had forgotten about. Their eyes met and for a split second, he noticed a slightly hurt expression in those green orbs before it was gone without a trace. He tried not to read too deeply into that emotion. He reached for Mink’s hand, holding tightly as he pieced together the information he needed to relay to them.

“I don’t know where I was,” he started. “I was unconscious the entire way there from what I can recall. When they brought me back, I was too drugged up to even know what was happening.”

He faltered for a moment, but continued when Mink squeezed his hand. “I know the place was huge. Whenever they would,” his paused to take a shaky breath. “When they would… do things to me… I was always carried down a long hallway. It was always dark and quiet. Sometimes I would be able to hear people talking down the hallways that weren’t… them. It wasn’t very often, though, just on occasion. I remember there was one time I was taken into an elevator and they took me up to a lab sort of room because I had gotten sick. There was a doctor that would come and examine me and give me medicine. I think he was also the one keeping me drugged up. I don’t remember much about him, though. I was never allowed to look when I was taken from my room.”

He wasn’t sure where these memories were coming from, but the more he talked the more he could remember about what he went through. He could feel tears running down his cheeks as he spoke, but now that he had begun, he wasn’t so sure he could stop. He spent what felt like an hour after that recounting different stories of what happened while he was under the care of those two. He didn’t say anything about the times they would use his body as a vessel for their lust. There was no way he could be able to discuss those moments, but he talked of everything else, from his regular checkups with a mysterious doctor to the few times Virus had taken him outside into a courtyard completely surrounded by what appeared to be a forest in order for him to get some fresh air only so he could be locked up far away from sunlight once more. He smiled slightly as he recounted all the flowers he saw in that courtyard. He knew none of what he was saying was very helpful to the men around him, but he couldn’t stop now. He didn’t have any details to give other than his experiences.

When he finally brought himself to stop speaking, he collapsed against Mink’s side, completely drained of energy. The man simply held him there as he and Noiz shared a look before the blond pulled up his coil and began typing frantically. Maybe he had managed to give them some sort of lead. He watched the man type away as he became lost in his own thoughts. He still wasn’t too sure about all of this, but he did have to admit talking had made him feel far lighter than he had in the past few weeks of being back home.

He nearly jumped out of his own skin as he felt someone sit down on his other side. He glanced over to see Koujaku had come back into the room and was holding out a glass of water for him to take. Upon seeing the glass, he became suddenly aware of how dry his story had made his throat. He smiled gratefully as he took it from him, downing at least half of it in one go. The hairdresser placed a hand gently on his shoulder for a moment before getting up to move next to Noiz, taking a seat next to him, one arm wrapping around his waist as he laid his head on his shoulder to watch him type. Noiz didn’t even flinch at the contact, his fingers never even slowing. Aoba furrowed his brows at the display, his mind suddenly flooding with flashes of occasions when he would have to break these two up from violent arguments. They despised each other, right?

His eyes met those of his best friend, who had apparently noticed his staring. Those red eyes were suddenly clouded with concern as he observed him. “You okay, Aoba?”

He nodded slightly at him. “I thought you two hated each other,” he cringed at his own confusion. Was he forgetting another important detail here? He was doing so well with remembering what his life was like before he was taken from here. He had thought he was slowly returning to normal.

Noiz’s fingers finally stopped their typing at their exchange, his vision moving from his coil screen to look up at him before turning his gaze to Koujaku and back again. “Well, I still want to kill him sometimes,” he deadpanned before returning to his previous action as if nothing had even happened.

“Likewise,” Koujaku glared at the man he was leaning against. “In the time we were searching for you, things just kind of happened and I guess we just kind of hit it off really well when we had nothing to fight over.”

Noiz snorted, not halting his typing this time. “I think it was just that you realized how irresistible I am.”

The hairdresser flicked the blond on the forehead, giving a small huff as if he were angry, yet his expression was light, a small smile gracing his features. The blond merely smirked in response bringing a smile to Aoba’s face. These two seemed to work really well together. Looking back at what he could remember of the two, he realized he really shouldn’t be at all surprised to find them together, almost as if their violent outbursts were just pent up sexual tension. He turned his gaze away from them, looking up at Mink who was looking at something on his own coil.

He nudged him lightly to get his attention, his smile widening as he thought of how cute the older was when he was deep in thought. When he looked over at him, one eyebrow raised in question, he couldn’t help but chuckle at him before leaning up to kiss him softly. Something about seeing his childhood friend in love just instantly brightened his mood. He opened his mouth to voice this to Mink, but was interrupted by a yawn instead. This time, it was Mink who chuckled.

The man shut off his coil and stood from his spot, extending a hand for Aoba to take. He did without hesitation, his smile growing wider as he was pulled to his feet. He looked around to Koujaku and Noiz, wanting to tell them good night, but deciding against it when he saw how absorbed the blond was in his work and how Koujaku was observing him lovingly. Neither of them would hear his words anyways. He followed Mink quietly, waving goodnight to everyone sitting at the kitchen table as they went. Despite laying his memories of the past two years out for everyone to hear, he felt warm. Tonight was truly a good night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I have no idea what the next chapter is even going to show. I do know it's going to be at least another three before they manage to locate Virus and Trip, though, so there is that to look forward to.
> 
> Until then, Enjoy!


	11. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba is finally feeling safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still alive, I promise! There is absolutely no excuse for this taking so long. I kinda become obsessed with Tokyo Ghoul and then life happened. As a small heads up, the next chapter will have a bit of a delay, though hopefully not as long as this one did. I am currently moving and typed this up to post really quick before I move the last of my stuff to my new apartment.
> 
> I am so sorry this took so long!!!!!!

Aoba awoke feeling warm for a change. He nuzzled closer to the man pressed against his back, his hands coming down to rub up the strong arms wrapped around his waist. A small smile graced his face when Mink moved slightly, pulling him more firmly against his chest. He felt safe here with those arms around him and hot breath ghosting through his hair gently.

 

As gently as he could manage, he rolled over so he could look over Mink’s sleeping features. He looked so at ease when he was unconscious. Aoba sighed softly as he moved up to place the faintest of kisses to the man’s jaw. Unfortunately, that was all it took to wake him up, golden eyes opening to return his gaze.

 

“Morning,” that deep voice spoke.

 

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he chuckled lightly as Mink kissed him on the nose.

 

“I needed to get up anyways,” Mink moved to sit up, but stopped when Aoba rolled to lay his head on his chest. He sighed and wrapped his arms around him once more. “I have work to do, you know.”

 

“Not right now,” Aoba pressed his lips to his chest briefly. “I like it here.”

 

The chuckle from the other rumbled against his ear making him feel warmer. They laid in silence for a while longer, Mink’s fingers threading through his hair. He would have drifted back to sleep were it not for Mink’s voice speaking out again.

 

“We have a lot to do today, Aoba,” he hadn’t made another attempt to get out of bed, but Aoba could tell he was trying to prompt him to move. He nuzzled closer again, drawing a sigh from his lover. “At least let me make you breakfast.”

 

Aoba shook his head. He didn’t want to get up and leave this room because he knew as soon as he did, he would be roped into telling them more about his time with Virus and Trip. His stories the night before had taken a lot out of him and he didn’t want to repeat the process again any time soon. He let out a manly squeak as he was suddenly on his back, Mink having flipped them over. The man swooped down to place a short kiss on his lips before standing from the bed, smiling faintly at Aoba.

 

“I’m going to make you breakfast,” he said before calmly exiting the room. Aoba groaned and sat up to stretch. So much for cuddling the morning away. He stood up and made his way to the closet to change clothes before following Mink into the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

 

Aoba found himself once again sitting on the couch surrounded by his friends. He had been asked to recount more of his experiences to them, but he just simply couldn’t form the words. He kept his eyes fixed on his shaking hands in his lap as he tried hard to fight back tears. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Mink’s arm came to wrap around him and pull him closer.

 

“Noiz, why don’t you fill us in on what you’ve found so far,” the man spoke, drawing everyone’s attention away from Aoba, for which he was grateful.

 

The blond brought up his coil, pulling up a map that was marked in a few different locations. “Based on what Aoba told us yesterday, I was able to narrow it down to three possible locations within the island, however, with there is no guarantee any of them are right. For all we know, they could have ferried him to the mainland while he was drugged off his mind.”

 

“This is a start at least,” Koujaku spoke up. “We can take teams and scout them out. It’s a new lead.”

 

After that, Aoba tuned them out, his mind returning to that place. He could vaguely remember a few times he could faintly smell baking wafting into his prison from somewhere down the hall. Those times had always made him homesick for Granny’s cooking. There were other times, when he would be taken from his room, he could hear the sounds of people playing chess or laughing heartily. But of course, his thoughts had to linger to the times he spent in the other rooms. He could have sworn he could still feel their hands touching him sometimes, a sensation that made him feel ill.

 

He was snapped from his internal struggle with his memories by suddenly being lifted from his spot. It took him a few moments to process what was happening. When his eyes focused, he found himself cradled in Mink’s arms as he gently rocked him back and forth. The room was silent except from soft words being whispered into his hair. He was confused until he realized his face was wet with tears. He leaned more into his lover’s chest, trying to hide his face in the fabric of his shirt.

 

Mink held him tighter, placing soft kisses to the top of his head. “I’ve got you, Aoba. You are safe.”

 

He felt the man lay back and pull some blankets over top of them both. This was when he realized Mink had carried him to his room while he was lost in thought. He was silently thankful for it. Mink was still whispering to him, one hand rubbing up and down his back. This was where he belonged, where he was safe, and where he wanted more than anything to stay.

 

Slowly, he forced himself to raise his head and look up at the other man. “I’m sorry.”

 

“No,” Mink’s voice was soft. “You’re okay. I told the others to go look into the new leads so I could take care of you.” He paused to kiss his forehead. “How are you feeling?”

 

Aoba sighed happily. “Better. I got lost in my own mind and freaked out.”

 

He laid his head back onto the firm chest below him so he could listen to his heart beat. “Can we stay here for a while?”

 

“Anything you want,” came the response. “So long as you don’t cry anymore.”

 

Aoba nodded. They remained silent for a long while before he started to drift off to sleep with Mink rubbing his back soothingly. All he seemed to do these days was sleep, but he couldn’t help it. All he could really do for the past two years he had been held captive was sleep and hope he would wake up far away from that place. He made a mental note to find a way to keep himself awake tomorrow, but for the time being, he resigned himself to simply enjoying the warmth of Mink holding him close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like your guys' opinion. I am trying to decide if I want Aoba to try and sleep with Mink before or after the big confrontation with Virus and Trip. Please do tell me what you guys think in the comments. It will really help with writing the next couple of chapters.


	12. You Save Me from the Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to get a bit dark inside Aoba's head...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wait is finally over! I have finally finished chapter 12 and sooner than I expected I would! I really hope you guys like it. I tried really hard to make it longer than the previous chapters to make up for the long wait, but idk. This chapter kicked my butt a little, but yeah...

Aoba cringed at the sickening feeling of his own blood running down his thighs and the soft chuckle next to his ear. He tried his hardest not to make a sound as the blade was dug into his skin repeatedly. The sting of it was worse than he was used to. One cut. That was all Virus ever inflicted a night. He had fooled himself into thinking he was being spoiled when the man ‘forgot’ to tally up the previous… how many times has it been? He tried to count how many times the blade bit into his delicate skin, but the pain blurred together making it an impossible task.

 

“How silly of me, Aoba-san,” the voice was smooth as silk but laced with poison. “I keep forgetting to mark our encounters, it won’t happen again. I promised you I wouldn’t let you forget about me. I will have to be more diligent our future sessions.”

 

Once he was done marking him, the man moved Aoba from his lap to lay down far more gently than necessary before moving away from the bed. With the blindfold still in place, he couldn’t see what the blonde was doing, but his stomach twisted into knots regardless. He was well aware of the fact that no matter what this man had planned for him today, he wasn’t going to have a good time.

 

He heard a quite hissing come from the direction Virus had disappeared in and tensed up on instinct. He didn’t like that sound. He knew what was in store for him when he heard it. Whenever the snake was involved, he always ended up utterly humiliated in every way imaginable and he despised it, but he knew he had to behave. He feared what Virus would do to him otherwise. He shuddered at the mere thought of what the man was capable of.

 

The bed dipped as his captor returned to his side to remove the cloth covering his eyes. For once the lighting in this room had been dimmed to the point Aoba was able to see everything once his sense of sight was returned to him. He could see the extravagant furnishings of the room; a large leather couch Virus liked to sip wine on while observing Aoba obeying his embarrassing demands to touch himself, a black dresser containing various toys the man would sometimes bring out to use on him as means of dragging his torment out longer, and a small nightstand upon which was a lamp covered by a thin cloth in order to mute the lighting ever so slightly. It was rare for him to be able to observe his surroundings like this, so he always made sure to take in as much detail as he could whenever possible.

 

“Aoba-san,” Virus purred in his ear. “Hersha wants to join us tonight. Do you mind?”

 

Aoba obediently shook his head. He knew Virus wasn’t interested in his answer, but he also knew better than to object to anything these two ask of him. If he defies them, he will be subjected to far worse pain than they already had planned for him. He jerked violently when he felt Hersha’s cold scales come in contact with his inner thigh, menacingly slithering around him to keep him in place. Virus laughed emotionlessly at him, like he always did whenever he watched Aoba fidget around in discomfort. Aoba was terrified. He didn’t want this to happen anymore. He wanted to be free of this hell he was in. Was anyone even looking for him from the outside? Probably not, he decided. Or rather, that is what Trip and Virus had told him before he had learned not to fight against them.

 

 _‘No one out there is ever going to come for you,’_ he could still hear the way Virus had whispered the words into his skin the first time he had his way with him. _‘Trip and I are the only ones who ever loved you. We are all you have.’_

 

Aoba hated himself every time he remembered those words because he knew they were true. If anyone other than these two _loved_ him, they would have already gotten to him and freed him from this place. He would be home and safe, not here enduring the things they were doing to him. Virus and Trip hurt him because they love him. This was Aoba’s life now. The only thing he knew anymore. He was never going to see a life outside from this place ever again and the sooner he accepted that fact, the better off he would be.

 

He was brought back to reality as a searing pain sent shocks throughout his entire body causing him to scream out. All his senses were consumed by the sheer agony of the sensation and he tried desperately to get away, fingers frantically clawing at whatever he could reach. He felt a hand come around his throat and squeeze until he was no longer able to scream, let alone breathe. Hot tears spilled from his eyes as he felt the man holding him down move harshly inside him. Everything felt far more intense with the absence of breath and he couldn’t stand it anymore. He wanted desperately to be anywhere but this awful place.

 

“Aoba, I believe I told you not to scream,” the blonde spoke quietly from behind him, not even sounding effected by the fast movement of his hips.

 

Aoba found himself confused for a few moments. He could have sworn he was being taken by Virus today, but that voice… When did he get moved to Trip’s room? Had he blanked out again and forgotten where he was? His thoughts were cut short by the hand on his neck tightening painfully as Trip started pounding into him harder making Aoba shake violently with every movement. Trip was only like this when Aoba made him mad. Usually he took his time in torturing him and made him wait for the end to come, but at this rate, Aoba was going to pass out from lack of oxygen. He knew if that happened he would have to go through this all over again when he awoke as punishment for falling unconscious. He struggled to stay awake this time, but he knew it was pointless. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. Darkness was consuming him quickly.

 

“Aoba!” he felt his entire body jerk to the side and gasped out. He could breathe now. What was going on? Was Trip toying with him?

 

“Aoba, please wake up!” That voice… He sat up quickly, almost knocking heads with the person leaning over the bed. He opened his eyes to see Koujaku’s frightened ones directly in front of his. It took him a minute longer to realize he was talking to him. “-oba, are you alright?”

 

“Koujaku?” He was confused. How did he find him? “Why are you here?”

 

Koujaku’s brows furrowed as he looked him over, trying to gauge his reactions. “Mink asked me to look after you while he was out,” he finally settled on saying. “He said you keep having nightmares and wanted someone to be here with you just in case you needed help.”

 

“Mink…?” he sat in silence for a moment as his foggy mind tried to make sense of what was going on here. That’s right, he wasn’t with Virus and Trip anymore. They had let him go and Mink found him to bring him home. He was out of harm’s way now, but his dreams had felt so real he thought he was back there with those monsters. He was pulled from his thoughts by Koujaku gasping and looked back to him.

 

“You’re bleeding!” Koujaku rushed around the room to find a first aid kit. Aoba looked at his fingers that were covered in his own blood. He must have clawed at himself in his sleep without realizing it. He jumped slightly when Koujaku returned to his side and started gently started cleaning the blood up so he could dress his new wounds. “Are you okay?”

 

“I think so,” he honestly wasn’t sure how he felt, but he spoke anyways. “I’m sorry about this. I can’t stop thinking about that place. I… I thought I was back there. Everything felt so real I couldn’t tell it was just a dream.”

 

The other let out a soft sigh, his eyes full of regret as he kept his gaze on the task at hand. “No, I’m the one that should be sorry. If I had put forth more effort to help, we could have found you and rescued you from them before things go that bad for you.”

 

Aoba shook his head. “From what I heard and have seen since I got back, you all tried your hardest and I thank you all for that! And you can’t blame yourself for any of it, anyways. Those two deceived you all into thinking they were helping you find me and covering their tracks to keep themselves off the grid. They are going to be impossible to find!”

 

“Yeah,” the taller shifted his gaze to the side. “You’re right. We probably won’t find them any time soon. But we aren’t going to stop trying.” He glanced at the clock on the wall before returning his gaze to his lap, avoiding Aoba’s eyes. “Mink should be back any time now.”

 

He tilted his head, momentarily forgetting their previous topic. “Where did he go, anyways?”

 

Koujaku was silent for a moment. He seemed to be thinking very hard about what he should say. “He went off with Noiz to check out a lead they stumbled across last night. It probably won’t get them anywhere, but it is worth a shot, right? I would have gone myself, but Mink asked me to look after you in his absence, so I stayed here. I hope everything goes alright.”

 

The smaller of the two curled himself up a bit as he thought about what Koujaku had said for a moment. So Mink was out there looking for Virus and Trip. Even after he was safe and sound, the searching still can’t stop until the men who took him away were found and justice was served. He knew he should be happy to hear of it, but in all honestly, it made him feel even more like a burden to the others.

 

_‘No one out there is ever going to come for you. Trip and I are the only ones who ever loved you.’_

 

The words echoed in his head again nearly making him sick. He knew now those words weren’t true and he was loved by all of his friends and by Granny as well. Every single one of them worked very hard to find him while he was in that horrific place, but he had no way of knowing that back then. Those two fiends made him believe their words as part of their torture so they could control him completely. They made him feel like he was alone in the world and that no one but them would even want him, but they were wrong. He has Mink now, right?

 

When he looked back up at his friend, he noticed that he was still avoiding his eyes. This peeked his curiosity a bit. Ever since he had been brought back home, he always had at least one person watching him to make sure he was okay. It annoyed him how much attention he kept receiving, but now he found it a little odd to have someone avoiding his gaze.

 

“Koujaku?” he spoke up. “Is something wrong?”

 

“No, of course not.” He smiled faintly, but still didn’t look at him. “I am just worried. I trust Mink, but what is Noiz gets hurt out there?”

 

Aoba scrunched up his face in confusion. “Why would he get hurt if they are just investigating a lead?”

 

“You never know what’s out there.” Koujaku finally looked at him. “If Virus and Trip are still prowling about and causing as much trouble as they did, then who’s to say that Morphine hasn’t returned as well?”

 

The thought hadn’t even occurred to Aoba. Toue and Oval Tower are gone, but what about Morphine? He remembered the few times he had been carried from his chamber and down the hallway to one of the other rooms. He had sometimes heard the voices of other people in the building laughing or talking amongst each other. And then there was the day he had been taken away from that place. Trip had carried him down the hallway like any other day, but instead of taking him to his room or to the lab to see the doctor, he had taken him to a room he had never been in before and removed his blindfold so he could see the group of men in black hoodies surrounding him before they charged forward to beat him to a bloody pulp. The memory was cloudy, but from what he could recall they definitely had the same atmosphere about them as Morphine did. Mizuki and the rest of Dry Juice, as well as a few other Rib teams had been released from their clutches, but it isn’t entirely out of the question for the gang to still be together in some form or another, even with Toue dead and gone.

 

He heard footsteps in the hallway and looked up in time to see Mink enter the room. Koujaku stood and went over to him in a hurry. They exchanged a brief, hushed conversation, quietly enough for Aoba to not be able to hear a word of it, before Koujaku rushed out of the room to go find Noiz. When they were alone, Mink took the spot on the bed Koujaku had vacated. A few days ago, Mink had decided to comb the dreads out of his hair and Aoba still found it to be an odd change, but couldn’t help thinking Mink was even more gorgeous with his long hair flowing freely down his back. He remembered the conversation they had while he sat with Mink through the long removal process and the taller told him the story of his past and why he had disguised himself before coming to Japan. It had felt good to just sit in silence and listen to the man talk about his past experiences. Aoba had felt a little special when he thought about how much Mink had to trust him to even consider telling him what he did. He blinked a bit once he realized his mind had drifted away from him again and returned himself to the present situation just in time for Mink to start talking to him once more.

 

“How are you feeling?” Mink asked calmly, his eyes on the fresh bandages wrapped around Aoba’s arms.

 

“I clawed myself in my sleep,” he relied bashfully, a small blush forming across his face. “I was having nightmares when Koujaku woke me up. Other than that, I feel better than I have been lately. I’m sorry for making you worry so much.”

 

Mink sighed and pulled him into his arms, holding him firmly against his chest. “I would worry about you even if you didn’t have nightmares on a regular basis. That’s just something you are going to have to get used to, Aoba.”

 

Aoba sighs and returns the embrace slowly. “The dreams are starting to get worse. They felt so real that I thought I was back in that place. I remembered they had convinced me that no one was even looking for me and that I was never going to be free of them… They made me believe that they were the only ones who would ever love me. I honestly started to see myself as nothing by a waste of space that only existed in order to cater to their twisted fantasies. I didn’t see anything for myself beyond what they had provided for me. I feel sick just thinking back on it all.”

 

Mink’s grip on him tightened slightly at his words. “They never loved you. What they did to you was for their own cruel entertainment. They tortured you and made you feel like it was your own fault. That isn’t love. Love is wanting to protect someone and keep them safe from all harm. Love is taking care of some and making sure they never have to experience pain or sadness if you can help it. Love is making sure the person you care about most never feels unwanted or like their very existence is a waste of space. If they really loved you, they wouldn’t have put you through all the terrible things they made you suffer,” he fell silent for a moment. “We spent two years tirelessly searching for you everywhere we could think of, but it wasn’t good enough. Every time we thought we were getting closer to the truth, something would pop up to knock us back a few steps. Those two were manipulating us every step of the way so they could go back to you at the end of the day and make you suffer more than you should have ever had to. I should have figured it out sooner. I should have protected you from them.”

 

Aoba shook his head vigorously. “No, you can’t blame yourself for any of this! You tired your best and that is good enough for me! I am here now, aren’t I?”

 

Mink huffed a small laugh. “My best might be good enough for you, but it wasn’t enough to save you from the evils you have had to face alone. I should have been able to see what was right in front of me from the beginning. I should have recognized their ‘helping hand’ was leading us farther away from bringing you home. It may not be my fault you were taken and had to endure the torment they put you through, but it was entirely my fault we couldn’t find you and bring you home before they released you.”

 

He knew he was fighting a losing battle trying to convince Mink he wasn’t to blame for anything, so instead he brought himself to his knees so he could get closer to the man. He stared into his eyes for a moment before leaning forward to capture his lips in a simple kiss, deepening it when he felt the other try to back away from him. He didn’t want to hear this man put himself down any further. He wanted to show him everything was okay now. After a few moments, Mink gave in and returned the kiss, if only briefly, before pulling away completely. He brought Aoba to sit on his lap, their foreheads pressed gently together so he could see into Aoba’s eyes and nothing else.

 

“I forgive you for not being able to find me on time,” he spoke before Mink got the chance to open his eyes. “I don’t blame you now and never will. You couldn’t save me from that place, but ever since you found me in that alley you have done everything in your power to save me from the memories of what I have been through. Sure, they keep getting more vivid as the days pass, but whenever I am around you, they slow down and I feel safer than I ever thought I could. You are saving me now and that is all I need from you.”

 

Mink closed his eyes for a moment as he processed what Aoba was saying to him. “Thank you for forgiving me.”

 

That was all he said before pulling him into another kiss, holding him securely as he did. Aoba smiled to himself as he threaded his fingers through Mink’s hair. This was happiness, he was sure of it. Virus and Trip had convinced him they were the only ones who would ever love him, but when he kissed Mink, he could feel in his heart that he was right when he told him they didn’t love him at all. He knew it to be true because this feeling he got around Mink, this was what love felt like, as cheesy as it sounded in his head when he thought about it. He knew he never wanted to be anywhere that Mink was not. Not now and not ever. This was home. This is exactly where he belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question, Does anyone want me to expand on Aoba's vague memory of Mink brushing out his dreads and add that scene to the Fluffy Oneshots series?
> 
> I do have the next two chapters somewhat planned out and I really hope you guys don't hate me for how this plays out. I tried to make it obvious here that Koujaku is hiding something important from Aoba and covering it up with false worry, but I am unsure on if it turned out that way or not. In any case, a lot of stuff is going to happen in the next couple of chapters and I finally decided on how to go about the whole thing with Virus and Trip getting fucked up. I don't think you guys are going to like my idea, but I feel I am making the right choice for the sake of the story line and how things would play out realistically. I hope you all enjoy regardless.


	13. Thank you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, this is the chapter that implies shit has gone down. Yep!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is a week late, but I got super busy at work after the new year. I made sure to make this chapter longer than usual to try and make up to it and will be working on the next chapter as soon as this goes up. Thank you for being patient with me.
> 
> Anyways, this chapter is mostly Aoba's dreams. I hope that doesn't disappoint anyone.

Aoba screamed out at the intense pain coursing through his entire body with every movement of the two men holding him in place. He wanted so desperately to fight against them and make his escape, but their grips on his thighs and torso respectively were far too strong regardless of the drugs weakening him anyways. He could vaguely hear Trip whispering in his ear from behind him, but his addled brain was unable to comprehend the words, even if he wanted to. His body was starting to become numb from the onslaught and there was nothing he could do about it. He could feel his consciousness begin to slip away from him only to be harshly ripped back to reality as Virus dug his knife into his skin, hot blood running down his leg grotesquely. Tears fell from his eyes, but he made no sound. His voice completely gone from screaming so much. In this moment, he wanted to die more than anything else. It would be the only way he could escape from this hell he was in and he knew it.

 

He didn’t even feel when the two men released inside him, one after the other, or when they both pulled out of him and sat him on the bed almost gently. His mind didn’t process them taking the time to clean him and dress him in a silken robe before Trip picked him back up to escort him to his darkened chamber once more. When he was finally left alone to his thoughts, there was nothing but hatred inside him, but not hatred towards those two, no. He hated himself more than anything. He had finally started to give up completely. There was no use trying to fight, no use doing anything at all, but lay there and take it. He felt hollow inside at the realization, he could only leave this place when he was dead. Unfortunately for him, the two made sure there was no way for him to end his own life in here. All he could do was sit and wait.

 

He was becoming numb to everything. He just wanted to die quickly so it could all be over.

 

* * *

 

 

When he opened his eyes, he still felt empty inside. He still wanted nothing more than to die and escape the hell he was in. His tired eyes stared up at the ceiling, but didn’t see anything, couldn’t process his surroundings at all. He didn’t care anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. He may as well already be dead, at least on the inside.

 

His self-loathing thoughts were brought to an abrupt stop when he heard movement off to the side. It sounded like someone shifting in a chair, but last he could recall, his bed and nightstand were the only furnishings in this room they kept him in. Curiosity got the better of him and he looked in that direction, his brain finally registering everything around him. He was back in his room at Granny’s, not that awful place. He was safe and surrounded by people who loved him and he loved in return. He no longer wished to die. He wanted to live more than anything. He wanted to live with Mink and have a long and healthy life by his side. His body was no longer numb. He could feel and was no longer being tortured painfully on a daily basis.

 

He was alive and free.

 

Granny was sitting in the chair Mink had brought into his room his first day back home. It must have been early morning, or maybe it was late at night, the only light in the room being the lamp on his nightstand. He sat up slowly, eyes still glued to the sleeping woman sat next to his bed, a guilty pang tearing at his heart at the sight. That chair couldn’t be a comfortable spot for an old woman to be sleeping, regardless of how strong and healthy his Granny is. After a moment, he leaned over and placed his hand over hers causing her to jerk awake. Her eyes immediately landed on him, they looked concerned and tired, her age clearly showing within them.

 

“Aoba!” she was smiling gently. “Did you sleep alright?”

 

“Granny…” he was surprised by how strong his voice sounded when he spoke. It reminded him just how long it has been since he was in the place of his nightmares. He is safe and alive. Everything is okay now. “You should sleep somewhere more comfortable.”

 

She huffed at him. “Idiot, I’m not that old!”

 

He smiled at that. She is still the same as she has always been, stubborn and loving. He could see how worried she has been written in her expression and felt terrible for making her and the others feel that way. Speaking of the others, it was odd when he thought about it for Granny to be the one by his side. Mink didn’t like to bother her and always asked one of the guys to sit with him if he had to be away for too long. He furrowed his brows slightly.

 

“Hey, Granny,” he searched her expression for a moment. “Where is everyone else?”

 

“Everyone left just after nightfall,” her eyes hardened in attempt to give nothing away. “Mink should be home safe within the next couple of days, assuming all goes well.”

 

Aoba sat up straight, his eyes wide. “Did he find them?” Granny’s silence was all the confirmation he needed. “Why didn’t anyone tell me! Where have they gone?”

 

Granny stood from her seat. “Aoba, calm down, you still need to rest. They can all take care of themselves. You only need to worry about your own health right now.”

 

“I am perfectly fine!” His voice was raised in panic as he jumped out of bed and began frantically searching for clothes. “I need to go help them! Tell me where they went! Please!”

 

Granny sighed and moved to the door. “I wasn’t told where they were going, only that they had found those two bastards and not to wait up for them. I have been worried sick since they left, but there is nothing we can do now, but pray for their safe return.”

 

He whirled around to look at her, chest heaving and tears starting to form in his wide, unblinking eyes. “Granny, I can’t just sit here and do nothing! I need to find them.”

 

“You aren’t going anywhere,” she crossed her arms and leveled him with a stern gaze. “You won’t do them any good by going with them in your state. You haven’t regained your full strength yet and still tire if you over exert yourself. It would be wise of you to stay and rest.”

 

Aoba deflated slightly at her words, knowing full well she was right. If he ran after Mink, he would more than likely pass out on the street before he even got close to finding them. He sat back down on his bed, utterly defeated. He was already starting to feel light headed from having moved so quickly to get dressed. He wasn’t even close to being physically capable enough to get much exercise as is. There is no way he would be able to help in the fight against what was left of Morphine, let alone face Virus and Trip again.

 

He heard Granny mumble something about making him something to eat before quietly exiting the room, leaving him alone to his thoughts. He flopped backwards to lay down again with a frustrated sigh. He felt completely useless just staying here and doing nothing at all to help, but he knew it was all he could do. Stay put and don’t get in the way. He was asleep by the time Granny came back into the room with his food.

 

* * *

 

 

He was sitting leaned against Mink’s chest as they watched the sun set over the horizon. He didn’t recognize his surroundings, but it didn’t matter so long as he was wrapped tightly in those warm arms he had come to adore more than anything. He was the calmest he had ever been in his entire life. Everything was going to be okay from now on.

 

He felt Mink’s hand run down his arm and smiled at the feeling the cool metal around his finger. He looked down at the matching rings they wore. Symbols of their marriage. He wanted to cry tears of joy any time he thought about the day they got married. Everything was perfect and still is. He wouldn’t give this up for the world.

 

“I love you, Aoba,” Mink whispered in his ear before kissing his cheek.

 

Aoba turned, looking up into those beautiful golden eyes and smiled wider than he has in a really long time. “I love you too, Mink.”

 

He leaned in for a kiss and everything was perfect with the word.

 

* * *

 

 

He woke up feeling warm as the last traces of his pleasant dreams left his brain numb. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a dream that wasn’t about the horrors he faced the past two years, but he wasn’t going to complain. Maybe this was a sign he could finally move on.

 

He spent the day with Granny working on some light physical therapy to try and help build his strength up. Neither of them spoke of Mink or the others, but they both stole secret glances at the clock from time to time. They were both worried sick, but neither wanted to bring it up to the other and ruin the seemingly peaceful atmosphere surrounding the house.

 

The group didn’t return that day and neither one said a word. The exchanged glances with weary eyes across the dinner table was enough for them to both know they were thinking the same thing. _Pray for their safe return. That is all we can do now._

 

Aoba helped Granny clean up after dinner before they both went to bed with a quite ‘good night’ and nothing more. He could only hope everything was okay out there. He could only hope Mink would return home safe and sound.

 

* * *

 

 

He was running down the hallways he was once carried down blindly. He didn’t know where he was going, but he knew he had to get there fast. He could hear the commotion of fighting in the distance, and pushed himself to run faster. He needed to help out. He needed to make sure everything was okay.

 

He needed to find Mink.

 

He made it to the fight just in time to see Mink stop moving, his shoulders tensed in shock. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he watched the love of his life drop to his knees, blood beginning to pool quickly around him from the wound in his chest. He made eye contact for a brief moment and Mink smiled faintly at him.

 

“I’m sorry I failed you,” the words hung in the air, fragile and oh so helpless as he collapsed completely. He was dead before he even hit the ground.

 

“MINK!” he bolted forward, only to be caught by strong arms and held back, a cruel laugh next to his ear.

 

“I told you that you would never be free, Aoba-san,” Virus’s voice sounded sweet, like thick honey, but Aoba knew better. He couldn’t see through his tears as the blonde dragged him out of the room, away from his only real love, and back into the dark chambers he had hoped to never see again.

 

 

The bed next to him dipped with the weight of someone crawling in next to him. He was shivering and tense from his nightmare, but didn’t move to respond when two hands cupped his face to wipe away his tears before pulling him into a firm grip and holding him close. He fell back to sleep without a single word, but his thoughts were blazing wildly.

 

_Welcome home, Mink. Thank you for returning safely._

 

Mink laid a soft kiss on top of his head as if to tell him he understood what Aoba was too tired to say.

 

_Thank you for waiting, Aoba._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, I decided against doing a Mink chapter to show what happened to Virus and Trip, but in the next chapter, Mink will give Aoba the details, so hopefully that will make up for it?
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!


	14. Safety At Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have actually had this finished for a while, but didn't get to post it until now. Enjoy!

Aoba woke up with a start. He wasn’t sure what caused him to wake up, as he couldn’t recall dreaming, but he felt on edge and panicked. The room was pitch black and he couldn’t see anything at all. His thoughts immediately jumped to Mink and he sat upright in a hurry. He looked over when the bed shifted next to him and could barely make out Mink’s faint outline in the dark. He didn’t recall the man coming home, but felt relief wash over him none the less.

 

“Are you okay?” Mink spoke with a rough voice, the clutches of sleep still mostly holding him.

 

“You’re back!” Aoba didn’t realize he had started crying until his voice came out cracked. Mink was sitting in an instant, arms pulling Aoba to him, holding tight.

 

“I’m here, it’s okay,” he held Aoba as he sobbed into his shirt, words of reassurance spilling past his lips. Mink was here. He was safe.

 

After what seemed to be an hour at least, Aoba righted himself, tears spent, and stared at Mink. He couldn’t recall either of them moving, but the lamp on the table was on now. His eyes roamed over every part of Mink he could see, searching desperately for any injuries. Mink seemed to get the idea because he scooted away slightly so he could remove his shirt, allowing Aoba’s eyes to scan his chest and stomach.

 

Aoba winced slightly at the fresh bandages wrapped around Mink’s abdomen and he reached out a hand to touch them delicately. “What happened?”

 

“I was careless. I wasn’t paying close enough attention and Virus stabbed me,” he spoke calmly, one hand coming up to cover Aoba’s hand on his stomach. “I’m okay, Tae patched everyone up without a problem.”

 

Aoba looked back up at him, eyes glossy with worry. “Tell me everything.”

 

Mink nodded and moved himself to lean against the wall, motioning Aoba to sit on his lap while he talked. “We found them a few days ago, but needed to take the time to come up with a plan. We decided to wait to leave until you were asleep. I knew you would want to come with us, but I needed to protect you. I wouldn’t have been able to if you had come along with us. I would have been too distracted keeping an eye on you and someone would have gotten hurt,” he paused for a moment. “Worse than we got without you there.”

 

Aoba listened intently as Mink continued talking. “They were waiting for us when we arrived. The fighting broke out almost immediately. Noiz pretty much had to pull Koujaku off of Trip to keep him from murdering the bastard by the end of it.”

 

Mink stopped speaking then and looked at Aoba for a long while. “You told me you didn’t want anyone to die, so we didn’t kill them. We beat them up really good and delivered them to the police, unconscious. If they get away, they are as good as dead.”

 

Aoba nodded. Honestly, he was kind of glad Mink didn’t kill anyone. No matter how much he wished to see Virus and Trip dead, he didn’t want the blood to be on Mink’s hands. His thoughts drifted away with him as Mink continued talking about what was to come. His attackers where safe behind bars with a trial around the corner. There was little to no chance they would ever be able to touch him again. He would never have to see them outside of his dreams anymore. Fresh tears started falling. He seemed to spend a lot of time crying these days, but at this point he didn’t care anymore. He was finally free.

 

“Thank you, Mink!” He rested his head on the man’s bare chest. “Thank you so much!”

 

Mink buried his face in Aoba’s hair, breathing deeply. “I was just doing my best to protect you.”

 

Aoba looked up and kissed Mink passionately, desperately trying to pour just how thankful he was for everything the man had done for him into it. The intensity with which the kiss was returned told him that Mink understood everything. His mind wouldn’t stop screaming about how glad he was to have Mink return to him mostly unharmed. He was happy to hold him close and kiss him like this. Everything was going to be okay.

 

* * *

 

 

The following week seemed to fly by after that. Aoba ended up going with Mink and the others to Virus and Trip’s trial. Thanks to his testimony along with a few of the escaped members of Morphine, the two were sentenced to life in prison overseas with no chance of parole and Aoba was ordered to go to a doctor to receive proper therapy after having a break down on the witness stand. He was honestly glad when everything was over.

 

Currently, he was at Mizuki’s bar surrounded by all his friends. Mizuki had closed his shop early and invited everyone over for a few drinks to celebrate their victory. Everyone was smiling and having a good time, which made Aoba happy. Everything felt so normal in that moment.

 

He sat at the bar, leaning heavily against Mink as Koujaku was animatedly recounted his point of view from the ‘grand battle’ as he had referred to it. Aoba got the feeling, based on the look on Noiz’s face, that Koujaku’s story was mostly an exaggeration of what really happened, but listened intently anyways. Every now and then, Mizuki would interrupt Koujaku to add on to the story himself, his details being even more exaggerated than those of the hair dresser were.

 

After a solid half hour of this, Noiz finally got bored and dragged Koujaku away from the bar, muttering under his breath about him having had too much to drink. Aoba said his good byes to the couple before watching them leave, Koujaku stumbling slightly before leaning heavily on Noiz’s shoulder as he tried to lead him out.

 

“Huh, I don’t remember the fight being that bloody,” Clear was leaning over the bar to rest his head on his propped up hand. He had somehow remained quiet the entire time, most likely enjoying the story. “I do remember Noiz having to make Koujaku back off, though. They sure are an odd pair, hm?”

 

Aoba turned his attention to the white haired man, a smile on his face. “Sure are, but they do seem perfect for each other.”

 

“Honestly, I’m surprised they haven’t killed each other, yet,” Mizuki spoke up from where he was cleaning up a few feet away. “As hot headed as Koujaku is paired with Noiz’s short temper?”

 

“It’s probably thanks to all the sex they have,” Clear finished Mizuki’s thoughts for him before standing up straight. “Can I get you another drink, Aoba-san?”

 

Aoba thought for a moment. “No thanks, Clear. I think Mink and I should probably start heading out soon. I have my first appointment with the therapist in the morning.”

 

Mink nodded his agreement before standing to go retrieve both their coats. Mizuki’s eyes followed Mink as he went.

 

“You’re lucky to have someone like him, Aoba,” he said absent mindedly. “He treats you well.”

 

Aoba smiled softly in response. “Yeah, he does.” He took his coat from Mink when the man returned and waved good bye to Clear and Mizuki before taking his boyfriend’s hand and leaving with him.

 

* * *

 

 

The walk home was silent, leaving Aoba time to think over the events of the past few days. He had been trying to come up with ways he could thank Mink, but in the end came up short every time. When they made it back to his place, he was struck with a sudden idea. It felt like a stupid idea, but it was something he had been thinking about for a while. He sat on his bed and watched Mink as he undressed to get ready for bed. Looking at him made him reach a decision. He wanted to give this a try.

 

“Mink,” he called out to him, the man immediately stopping to give him his full attention. “I want to try something with you.”

 

Mink’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as a regarded him for a moment. “What would that be?”

 

“I…” he hesitated for a moment, a blush spreading across his face at the thought. “I want to do it with you.”

 

Mink remained silent for a few minutes before coming to sit on the bed next to Aoba. He was sitting close, but not enough to touch him at all. “Are you sure?”

 

Aoba nodded. “I have been thinking about it for a while. I want to try it.”

 

Mink sighed a bit and pulled Aoba closer, kissing him lightly. “Then we can try, but if you change your mind, stop me immediately, understood?”

 

The smaller of the two looked into Mink’s searching eyes. He could tell Mink was trying to gauge his reactions for confirmation to proceed; that Mink was worried about taking their relationship farther too soon after all Aoba had been through over the past two years. He took a deep breath and nodded, leaning closer to him and running a hand down his muscled arm.

 

Mink stayed still for a moment longer before moving in to capture Aoba’s lips heatedly. The kiss was quickly deepened, their tongues meeting feverishly and gliding together. Aoba pushed himself closer to Mink’s body, arms wrapping securely around his neck when the larger man moved him to lay back, not breaking the kiss. He felt Mink’s hands run up his sides, pushing his shirt up with them and arched into the contact happily.

 

He closed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to enjoy Mink’s warm hands on his skin, but as soon as he did, his mind shifted and suddenly the contact was too much. With his eyes closed, all he could see was Virus and Trip holding him down and having their way with him. His body tensed immediately and his previously pleasant shivers turned to trembles of fear. His hands shook violently as he pushed against the man on top of him and was surprised to feel the weight above him leave instantly.

 

“Aoba,” Mink’s voice sounded far away when he spoke. “Are you okay?”

 

He shook his head violently, eyes blown wide to look at Mink, his breathing erratic. “I… I’m so sorry!”

 

The older man shook his head and moved to pull Aoba into his lap so he could lean against him. He remained silent for a while, simply stroking the younger’s hair until he had calmed down enough to breathe regularly. “You have nothing to be sorry for. After everything, it is only natural for this to happen.”

 

Aoba shook his head, face buried in Mink’s chest. “I thought I was ready for this, but as soon as I closed my eyes, all I could see was them.”

 

Mink’s arms tightened around him slightly. “You’re safe with me and they will never hurt you again. I promise you, Aoba. I will always protect you.”

 

They fell into silence again, Aoba listening intently to Mink’s steadily beating heart to keep himself from panicking again. He wanted so badly to give himself completely to this man, but he was beginning to realize he still had a long road ahead of him before he would be able to do so.

 

“You’re thinking too much,” Mink whispered into his hair. “We can try again another time, okay?”

 

He nodded in embarrassment. “Yeah, I’m sorry I couldn’t go through with it.”

 

Mink sighed. “Don’t be. I can wait as long as it takes for you to be comfortable. I will never do anything to force myself upon you. If I do, then I am no better than those two pricks I worked hard to bring justice to. I promised to protect you from all harm. I can’t do that if I am the one bringing harm to you.” He tilted Aoba’s head up so he could look into his eyes. “I love you more than anything in this world. I will never hurt you like they did.”

 

His eyes were wide as he listened to everything Mink had to say. His heart fluttered in his chest and a warm feeling spread all throughout his body. Sure, he already knew the man’s feelings for him, but it still made him unbelievably happy to hear him come out and say it so openly with those sincere eyes of his. This man would stay by his side and wait for him to feel comfortable doing things again. That alone was more than he could ever wish for.

 

He couldn’t take the emotions welling up inside him any longer and surged forwards to press their lips together passionately, his hands burying in Mink’s hair to pull him closer. Once they pulled away for air, he gazed into Mink’s eyes for a long while, neither of them blinking until Aoba closed his eyes and simply held Mink closer to him.

 

“God, I love you more than I will ever be able to put into words,” he said quietly. Mink just chuckled softly and kissed the top of his head.

 

Aoba was truly happy with how far he had come. He knew there was a long road ahead of them, but for now, he was more than content. He felt safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Yeah, this is the end of the story. I have been thinking about it and there isn't really anything else I can add after this. I mean, yeah, Aoba still has a lot of recovery to do and then there is still the fact that he and Mink haven't done it yet, but I honestly don't think that is enough to warrant me keeping the main story going.
> 
> That being said, I will be continuing the story line in the form of one shots added to the series, since there is still more to be told. I already wrote one a while back about Mink proposing to Aoba and have the basic outline for Mink combing out his dreads as I already promised I would write that and will eventually write a story centered around them trying to have sex and the time they finally managed it for the first time.
> 
> Also, now that this story is complete, I will focus on rewriting Save Me from Myself, which was the Koujaku/Noiz side story I had written and then taken down. It won't be nearly as long as this one as it's only purpose is to fill in a little more of the gap of the two years everyone spent searching for Aoba and build up the KouNoi pairing, but yeah.
> 
> Anyways, I have rambled enough. Please feel free to leave in the comments any requests for things you would like to see me add on to this series. I am thinking of writing out how the trial played out, but I do know that will take a good while to write since I know little to nothing about how the court system works, but yeah. Let me know what you guys want to see! I am also open to requests for any other pairings or what not outside of this little AU I created.
> 
> Thank you for sticking through this! Until next time, enjoy!


End file.
